Marlene Fay Trummel

Marlene Fay Trummel, 88, of Bloomington, MN (previously St. Cloud) passed away December 20, 2024. Marlene was born January 31, 1936, in Keokuk, Iowa to Lee and Grace (Tiemann) Junk. She married the love of her life, Donald Russell Trummel on June 9, 1957, in West Point, Illinois. Marlene and Don loved each other greatly and loved spending time together over their 66 years of marriage. They spent many years ballroom and swing dancing, cross country skiing, and walking through the Clemens and Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud. Marlene was a 1954 graduate of Bowen High School and graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1957. While Marlene's elementary school teaching days ended when her children were born, her strong commitment to educating and loving her three sons never ended -- ranging from teaching them about the countries of the world to anything in the Encyclopedia Britanica. Learning from Marlene was fun, just like the way she lived life always spreading happiness. Her happiness radiated joy to those all around her. Marlene's uplifting personality was exemplified by the ease in which she made friends. One group in particular was the "Birthday Girls" which not only celebrated each other's birthdays on the actual day but extended it to include the entire month. Her congenial personality and positive attitude continued when she moved to Friendship Village where she was frequently described as the life of the party, the instigator of fun, levity and conversation. Even in her final moments, despite immense pain, she'd joke (and yell out her jolly Woo-Hoos!) with those around her because the happiness of others always, for her, outweighed any pain she was enduring. Marlene also shared her joy and love for others through the written word. She loved to write and was greatly saddened when her ability to do so ended several years ago. She missed sharing her love in written form to those she cared about, and the recipients especially missed receiving her well-known style of writing that frequently left the reader laughing. Her friends and family often comment about the joy and laughter that her Christmas Card would bring. Some say that the best way to spread Christmas-Cheer is through singing but in Marlene's case, it was her expressive Christmas Card. While Marlene enjoyed spreading love to all, nowhere was this more prominent than the love she shared with her family. Her playful spirit continued through her life - from raising three boys to playing with her grandchildren. She was always game for anything even when it involved poking fun at herself or looking silly so long as it enhanced the joy of others. Marlene loved nature and the outdoors. Prior to breaking her hip, she loved exercise and enjoyed cross country skiing in the winter and taking long walks along the river in the summer. She was an authority when it came to identifying birds and flowers and volunteered for a time at Clemens Gardens. Marlene is survived by her three sons, Donald Trummel (Tammy) of The Villages, FL, Gary Trummel (Geri) of Bloomington, MN and David Trummel (Marjorie) of Fishers, IN; and 7 grandchildren - Taylor, Austin, Isaiah, Daniel, Sean, Madelynn and Samuel. She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald, her infant son, Darrel Ray and infant grandchildren Spencer David and Samantha Fay. The family would like to thank the staff of Friendship Village that helped look after Marlene with loving care. Details regarding arrangements for a celebration of life have not been finalized. www.Washburn-McReavy.com Bloomington Chapel 952-884-8145

Tributes

Marlene Fay Trummel

January 31, 1936 - December 20, 2024

Tributes

Marlene Fay Trummel

January 31, 1936 - December 20, 2024

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